Why Are Wedding Flowers so Expensive?

Let’s take this question and divide it into two respects--

In one respect, the question, “why is something so expensive,” is often rhetorical in nature, and could be applied to any wedding vendor category, or to new cars, or even to fine wine. We’ll get back to that idea in a moment.

In another respect, in our new global economy there are real factors affecting the supply of flowers on the market, as well as the channels through which people buy flowers. The result is that people are beginning to think that florists are “expensive.”

With the flexibility if internet shopping, people are now able to purchase “grower-direct” flowers. Additionally, the influx of South American-grown roses into the U.S. has driven down the price people expect to pay for roses. Both of these trends has hurt independent flower shops, and created the question in the consumers’ mind, “Am I getting what I pay for when I buy from a florist?” And, “Can I get the same thing from a warehouse store?”

By the end of this blog-post, I hope that your perspective will be broadened somewhat.

First, the rhetorical question: Why is any bridal-related product so expensive? You can buy bridal satin at a fabric store for less than $10 a yard, so why does the dress cost $1,000? Why is it so expensive to rent a limousine? Why should I pay hundreds of dollars for a DJ when I have a perfectly good iPod? Why do I hire a professional photographer when Uncle Merle has a decent digital camera and a tripod?

The simple answer to the question of expense -- for flowers or any other professional service you hire for your wedding -- is that your purchase is a return on a professional’s investment of time, effort, expense, expertise, education, skill, energy and spirit applied toward doing excellent work for you, so that you may have a beautiful, joy-filled, stress-free wedding. The money you spend on wedding flowers, or your bridal gown, or limousine, or photography, or professional music entertainer will help provide food and shelter for those, your fellow human-beings.

Plus, it stimulates the economy.

Now, back to flowers.

Most people, unless they know a florist fairly well, or are related to one -- will never witness the amount of effort and sheer strength of will it takes to pull together a sizable array of beautifully designed flowers, from the largest of ceremony bouquets to the ring bearer’s tiniest boutonniere, delivered in perfect condition, to the bride’s specifications, on deadline, with a smile.

Professional florists do this week in and week out. Our job is to listen to you, help to clarify your thinking, and also respect and honor your vision, and do our best to make your wedding dreams come true with flowers and decorations. We often do it with very limited budgets.

And once the wedding flowers are delivered, and installed perfectly in place, we head home exhausted -- usually plopped down on the couch, useless to our loving families who’ve been patiently waiting for us to have some time for them!

The reality is that no bride can have magazine-perfect flowers for her wedding unless she hires a competent professional.

Last June, I designed the flowers for a morning wedding at a local military chapel. The chapel was booked immediately following for a noon wedding, so I could see the flowers coming and going.

My bride, Jamie, knew precisely what she wanted. She chose a cascading bouquet of pristine white Phaleanopsis Orchids, which I delicately bound together and manipulated to perfectly display each blossom, without bruising any of their tender petals. I finished the creation by entwining the stems with lush white double faced bridal satin ribbon, accented with pearls and gemstones. Then I babied that precious bouquet until I could lay it into her hands. No kidding. My darling husband drove to the chapel, so that I could keep her bouquet safe on my lap.

I applied similar, appropriate care to all of the other floral pieces that I created for Jamie’s wedding and reception. It’s about striving for perfection. Every bride dreams of this day, and wants it to be perfect. My role is to be picky, and to take on all the stress, and to care in such a way that all I touch and bring to her wedding will be as close to earthly perfection as possible.

Jamie had thousands of satin rose petals all over her aisle. Knowing that the chapel needed readying for the next wedding, I returned to help the wedding coordinator clean up the petals.

Well, the next bridal entourage arrived on the scene, and I didn’t need to ask where they got their wedding flowers, because the look mega-phoned, “Costco.” The bridal and attendant bouquets resembled the rounds of roses in the refrigerated shelving units. An hour and a half before the wedding, the flower girls were already worrying their little bouquets to death. Nobody was there to see to it that the corsages and boutonnieres were pinned onto the right people. The pew bows were amateurishly handmade.

I rarely get a glimpse of “you get what you pay for,” but I did that day. And it made me sad. The Costco bride was probably happy with her flowers. I don’t know. I didn’t ask. But I know that she didn’t receive the quality of flowers, or experience the level of care and service that I provide to my brides.

Most assuredly, Jamie got what she wanted for her wedding flowers. She definitely got what she paid for.

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional member: Julia Miller of Julia's Floral.  To see more images and learn more about flowers you can also find Julia on Facebook.